Broomfield Republican caucus draws record crowd

Locals back Romney for president in straw poll

VOTE BEFORE THE VOTES: Precinct 15 caucus members raise their hands to vote for who will lead the meeting Tuesday during the Broomfield Republican caucuses at Broomfield High School.
(
David R Jennings
)

DEMOCRATIC, AMERICAN CONSTITUTION CAUCUSES

Democratic Party and American Constitution Party precinct caucuses will be March 6. The last day to affiliate with Democratic or American Constitution parties was Jan. 6.

The auditorium at Broomfield High School was packed with a standing-room only crowd Tuesday night, but it wasn't for a school function.

The school on Tuesday hosted the Broomfield Republican Caucus, drawing a local party record of 683 voters, officials said.

With 303 votes, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the straw poll in which Broomfield Republicans participated Tuesday. Rick Santorum came in a second with 186 votes, while Ron Paul received 113 votes and Newt Gingrich 80. The ballots were printed before Texas Gov. Rick Perry dropped out of the race late last month, and he received one vote Tuesday.

Statewide, Santorum received 40.2 percent of support to Romney's 34.9.

"Considering what's been happening (nationally), I expected that," Broomfield Republican Party Chairman Erich Fiegel said of the local results. "I was thinking Newt wouldn't do well here, but we'll have to see how the statewide results shake out."

The 693 people who pre-registered to attend on Tuesday's caucus online foreshadowed its record turnout Tuesday. Anticipating a large event, local police began directing plows to clear side streets for additional parking around 3:30 p.m. Officers also directed traffic around Broomfield High as people began to arrive to register as early as 5 p.m. for the 7 p.m. caucus start time.

Broomfield Mayor Pro Tem Greg Stokes was among several local officials who attended the caucus. He said he was impressed by the turnout and thinks it shows people are becoming more aware of just how important it is to be active in the politics that so impact their lives.

"The caucus program is the way we're supposed to participate in electing our representative government," Stokes said. "People are starting to understand that they have to participate. They need to be part of it. You can't just stand back and let it happen to you."

The straw poll was prefaced by speeches from Broomfield-area Republican officials including outgoing state Sen. Shawn Mitchell, outgoing state Rep. Don Beezley and their hopeful replacements, Glenn Vaad in Senate District 23, and David Pigott in House District 33. Fiegel also spoke to caucus attendees before they cast their straw poll votes and went on to their individual county precinct meetings. He stressed the importance of precinct committee volunteers working hard to support the party in the upcoming election, and the need for the party to focus on the larger goal and stop any inner disagreements once an official Republican candidate is chosen.

"I'm thrilled we have so many people here, because we have a lot of work to do in 2012 to take our country back," Fiegel told the crowd.

While the straw poll might have been the main event, the real nuts and bolts of Tuesday's caucus was choosing Broomfield's allotted 39 delegates who will participate in the April 14 state convention in Denver. Delegates elected by their precinct mates Tuesday will meet at a Broomfield County Assembly on March 5, before heading to the state convention in Denver, where they will have a say on what Republican officials' names appear on the primary ballot for state-level offices.

Ten-year Broomfield resident and member of Broomfield Republicans' precinct 32 Jayne Russell was elected as a state convention delegate Tuesday. Russell, who said she had always had a deep interest, but had never taken an active role in politics until this week, also was chosen to be one of her precinct's two committee people. She and fellow precinct 32 committee person, Mike Jude, are charged with the task of knocking on doors, making phone calls and doing other work in their precinct to drum up support for Republican candidates in November.

"I feel it's important in this campaign. I want my voice heard," Russell said of her decision to put her name up for consideration as both a precinct committee person and delegate Tuesday. "I think a lot of people are quiet, even if their feelings run deep, and if we don't step up and say anything then we'll be bypassed."

Volunteer delegates were asked to pledge to a candidate if they had made up their minds Tuesday or say if they were undecided before precinct meeting votes took place. Of the five people who stood up to be delegates in Precinct 32 -- three including Russell were elected delegates while the other two are alternates -- only Russell pledged to a candidate: Mitt Romney.

"He has an agenda that matches my vision for America," Russell said among her reasons for committing to Romney. She received 14 out of 15 possible votes from her fellow precinct members Tuesday.

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